Identity
by Illidan the Half Demon
Summary: Knowing who you are is always important but what if you are a hanyou and do not know anything about one half of yourself? The question can gnaw at your mind forever until you have to ask: what is it like to indulge in that half of your heritage? Perhaps finding out will settle things, or could cause even more problems. Based on my OCs story. Sequel to Path to Dawn.
1. Chapter 1: Request

**Hey everybody! It's been a while and I apologize for not getting this new story started sooner. The truth of the matter is I've been slow to get rolling on this story. After _Path to Dawn _finished, I immediately began outlining this story. The outline was moving along fast at first then slowed to the point it was crawling. I at last got the outline done in May and moved onto writing the first chapter. That too took much longer than anticipated in preparing due to my inability to acquire time to write. I finally got a break and managed to get the chapter done. I'm trying a few new things that I'm sure everyone will notice instantly and I apologize if it does not fit into your style of reading. If everyone prefers me to revert to how I did things before, I will. I just wanted to try something out that I had shied away from due to my inability to understand proper meanings. I've had a lot of help from a friend, who has an account on here called luckgirl13. Again, I hope everyone likes the minor changes I added. Not sure if it will go over well or not but I thought I'd try. For now, I'm going to go with 2 week intervals for chapters like previously.**

**Aside from writing, my life has been majorly busy. I'm about to leave my current job for a new one with a good raise and more security, but a longer drive to and from. I really hate leaving my current job due to all the friendships I forged and how much I have enjoyed working for that company. Plus it gave me time to also work on my stories during downtime and whatever else I needed. I have a feeling those days are over since I will be working for the FBI under contract. It should be fun but writing at work is over I'm afraid. I'll try not to let my writing suffer but I will warn you guys it may do so.**

**As well, we had a horrible, horrible storm blow through here in West Virginia back a week ago on the 29th of June. It knocked out power at work (where I was at the time), plus at home also. We didn't get power back for three days and it was sweltering during those three days, with each in the 90's. Some of my friends have yet to get power back. I still had work since we had a massive generator out back but it was still weird.**

**This first chapter is dedicated to my friend luckgirl13 for all her help and everything else going on. She has helped me so much in this first chapter and I'm hoping it goes over well with everyone.**

**Without further ado, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Bleach. Please support the official release.**

**Meanings for certain words:**

_**-sama = used for high respect and typically superiors.**_

_**-san = respectful honorific between peers.**_

_**-chan = endearing honorific, but typically used towards girls and children.**_

_**arigatō = thank you**_

_**gomen = sorry (non-formal)**_

_**sumimasen = sorry (formal)**_

**Chapter 1**

"Iya-sama, your guest has arrived."

Sitting at a low desk signing documents was a young man with long butt-length black hair pulled back into a ponytail by a purple ribbon. His muddy brown eyes were focused on the documents in front of him as his clawed hand dipped his calligraphy brush in the ink pot. The young man's two black dog ears slightly tweaked at the sound for a moment but he showed no signs of acceptance of the words spoke to him. Adorning each of his cheeks were jagged purple streaks. His clothing consisted of a long sleeved white top embroidered with many fire-orange maple leaves that had a large black dog, his true form, embroidered into the back of it. He also wore white pants and a red obi sash. Sitting in the floor beside of him was a sword within a black polished sheath that had a band of green part way down it. The sword's hilt was braided in green with an oval golden guard.

Waiting several moments outside of the shōji for an answer, a young woman with black hair pulled back into a bun that had a green cloth covering said bun, remained kneeling. Absentmindedly, she rubbed her one arm uncomfortably as her brown eyes stared at the door and awaited an answer to call out. Her ears were pointed and her clothing consisted of a fine black kimono that was tied shut by a white obi sash with a big bow on her backside.

At last, she received a "Let her in" from the dog hanyou in the room. Letting out a sigh of relief, the demoness slid the door open and bowed her head to the demoness she had escorted. "Iya-sama will see you now, Akina-sama."

The woman waiting simply nodded to the kneeling demoness and moved into the room. Her straight purple hair reached just below her butt in length and swayed with her movements while her pale skin reflected a bit of light off of it. Slit jade eyes focused on her destination and revealed nothing of her emotions. Pointed ears picked up every sound within the room and the surrounding area perfectly. The demoness wore a long flowing dark blue kimono that had golden floral print embroidered into it. Her kimono ended just at her ankles, enough to reveal she was wearing a pair of zōri. Each step the shoes clacked slightly. An elaborately well tied yellow obi belt with similar floral patterns as the kimono wrapped around to form a bow.

Stopping a few feet in front of the low desk, the demoness bowed lowly and waited for approval to move from her position.

Waving off the demon before him, Iya called out "Momo-san."

"Hai?" Momo answered immediately with her head bowed.

"Do me a favor and please fetch us some tea."

"Hai Iya-sama." the young woman chirped. She immediately rose up but not before shutting the sliding door to give the occupants some privacy.

Standing still in the same spot she had been in bowing, Akina began to feel a bit awkward in waiting for approval of her presence. She heard the dog hanyou continuing to sign papers and seemingly ignore her being there.

At last dipping his brush in a small bowel of water he kept on his desk and washing the ink out and setting the brush aside, Iya looked up and said "You may sit, Akina-san."

"Arigatō, Iya-sama." Akina replied. Taking a seat on the cushion before the desk, she sat back perfectly onto her knees.

"Sumimasen." Iya sheepishly remarked. Motioning towards the stack of papers still unsigned, he commented "In recent days, my paperwork has piled up due that I've been busy with other matters that have arisen. I wanted to catch up as best I could."

Just as the demoness was about to speak, the shōji door opened to reveal Momo returning with a tray that held the tea that was requested. Setting it on the table, the dog-wolf hybrid demoness bowed softly and offered a soft smile to the dog hanyou.

Smiling at the young woman and using waving motion, Iya softly said "You are dismissed, Momo-san."

Bowing once more to the dog hanyou, the demoness left the room. With her gone, the dog hanyou reached forward and poured out two cups of tea. Sliding the cup over to his guest, he pulled his own to himself and took a sip.

Speaking at last after a few more sips, the hanyou coolly said "Tell me, Akina-san, why have you come to meet with me."

Setting her tea down, the purple haired demoness took a deep breath. Backing away a bit and bowing deeply, she said in a low, humble tone with her head bowed "Iya-sama, I come before you as the newly appointed head of the neko clan to ask you to have mercy on my clan. They ..."

"No."

Raising her head in shock at the sudden words of the dog hanyou, Akina saw the hardened expression on the Southern Lord's face and in his eyes. Reworking her words in her mind, she at last found the words to speak.

"Iya-sama, I ask you to please reconsider. We have repented for our former lord's actions towards yourself and these lands. The neko clan wishes to merely aid in the recovery of these lands by rejoining the Council of Clans. In the past, we have proven to have sway over several clans and can help keep them in line and do as you request. So please, do reconsider our punishments and allow us to once more help the Southern Lands." the demoness begged.

Silence filled the room for several moments before Iya coolly said "I will not reconsider my judgment on the neko clan. Akina-san, I do not say this lightly. I know of the plight of the neko clan, however, I will not change my mind on the restrictions that I placed on the nekos."

"As lord of your clan, you should know that in the past the nekos have often tried to undermine my position as Southern Lord, as well as flat out betray the Southern Lands by ignoring the laws dealing with humans that have been put into effect."

Taking a few seconds to close his eyes and then reopen them, he added "Your predecessor, the one that took over the neko clan when the former lord Takeshi was expelled, pleaded his case before me similarly. I almost was swayed at that time to repeal my judgment if not for an incident that occurred near the same time."

Standing and turning away from the demoness to look out the window, the hanyou coldly began saying "A caravan of human merchant were travelling with their families and passed precariously near the neko clan's territory. Without any provocation, a group of nekos mercilessly attacked and killed the humans."

Turning back towards the demoness with his fists clenched tightly and anger visibly swimming within the muddy depths, Iya snarled out "They were unarmed and not even trained to defend themselves! Among them were elderly, women, and children! For absolutely no reason the group of nekos killed off all but one that had managed to get away in thanks to her parents. She was injured badly but managed to escape nonetheless. The nekos tried to cover it up! If not for the fact one of the patrols had been passing through I never would have known about it. They got a detailed report from the one that had survived and it was confirmed by the tracks and scents of the slaughtered group."

"When I received the report on the attack, I demanded an explanation from your predecessor. He merely said the humans had most likely wandered into the neko clan territory. It was a lie. For his betrayal of my trust, I ended all discussions with your former lord and threw him out of the Southern Keep. Naturally he wanted to know why and received an answer from me promptly detailing what had been found out."

Calming himself, the hanyou sat back down behind his desk on the large pillow before speaking in a more collected manner.

"Aside from that, the neko clan has proven they are not ready. They chose to ignore the laws that were set up to keep demons from killing humans without proper reason. As head of the clans, you should know that the punishment for breaking the laws of the Southern Lands requires incarceration, if not death. Yet you and those that represent the clan's infrastructure do nothing to those that break the law of the South. For this reason primarily, I cannot willingly allow the neko clan to return to the Council of Clans, nor repeal the sanctions placed on the clan. Such blatant disrespect will not be tolerated."

Akina was floored by the dog hanyou's words and held a distant look in her eyes. She sat merely in silence lost in thought and trying to come up with a response.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Iya softly said "You are young and inexperienced in these matters, Akina-san. It is not surprising that you did not know of the things your clan has done. I do not hold that against you, however, I will not bend on this subject. The neko clan made the situation the way it is on their own. Until I see proof before me that they have changed, I will continue to uphold my previous decision on their punishments."

"Iya-sama," Akina began in a low tone with her eyes becoming glassy, "please reconsider your position on this matter. I'm begging you. The conditions imposed upon my clan are too great for us to bear the weight of any longer."

Looking at him with pleading emerald eyes, she whimpered out "Please, I beg you to rethink on it, Iya-sama."

Unfazed by the neko demoness's plea, the dog hanyou replied sympathetically "I understand your plight but I cannot do it. Until the neko clan can prove to me that they will willingly follow the will of the Southern Lands, they will remain as they are."

Akina slightly lowered her head with each word that had been spoken to her. She felt her world crashing around her, all of the hope she had built up slipping away.

Out of desperation, the neko demoness raised her head and asked "What of your mate? She is a neko hanyou and yet she is not treated as the neko clan is. How is that fair to my clan when your mate is free to do as she pleases?"

"Akina-san..." Iya mumbled with a heavy sigh. Taking in a deep breath, he smoothly said "My mate was originally a human transformed into a neko hanyou against her will by a mage known as Kenshin Himura. Because of this very reason, she has no connections to the neko clan and is not held accountable for their mistakes. She is innocent due that she never was part of the clan."

"If Lilly-sama learned what it meant to be neko and saw the plight of my clan, perhaps you would reconsider your stance." Akina challenged.

Releasing another heavy sigh, the dog hanyou replied "Lilly has nothing to prove to either the neko clan or myself. I accepted her for who she was all those years ago and told her then that she never had to prove herself to me or anyone else. I stand firm by that statement even after all these years. She is the Lady of the Southern Lands and does not need to display why she is."

Visibly unwilling to let it drop, the neko demoness shook her head. "Lilly-sama should come visit our clan and then you would understand the plight of the neko clan. Please, Iya-sama, let her visit and she will be able to tell you what she has learned has become of our clan due to the sanctions against us."

"Akina-san, we will not discuss this any further. I have made my decision and quarrelling about having my mate learn to be a neko and see the plight of your clan will not sway me into changing my mind. If that is all, you are dismissed." the dog hanyou said as he stood.

Standing, the neko demoness bowed deeply with frustration showing on her face. She quickly turned and left the room before proceeding to stamp down the hallways.

Heavily sighing, Iya sank back down into his pillow and pinched the brow of his nose. Hearing a stirring sound from the corner, he glanced up to see his bodyguard coming from the shadows.

The bodyguard moved forward into the light to better reveal himself. He had shaggy orange hair and brown eyes that seemed to have a disinterested look within them, along with a scowl etched into his features. His clothing consisted of a black kimono top and pants with a white obi tied around his waist, a thick red leather cord that wrapped from his right shoulder to left side and back around, and a black collar that rose up from his top with white outlining it and cutting through the middle. A cross like black tattoo peaked out from his chest where his top came up to and four black vertical lines appeared to form over his wrists and ankles. Four black tattoos appeared on four of his knuckles on his hands.

Attached to the long leather cord and hanging from his back was a large curved cleaver blade like sword wrapped in a white cloth that kept it firmly attached to the cord. The hilt of the blade was a foot long and looked like brownish cloth wrapping it and had a short half a foot of chain dangling from it that rattled slightly with each step made by the orange haired man.

"Do you think I was too hard on her, Ichigo?" Iya questioned as he watched his personal bodyguard approach.

Adjusting his sword to sit down, Ichigo remarked "Since when has my opinion counted?"

Smirking at his friend and long time partner, the hanyou replied "Your opinion has always been valuable to me."

Silence engulfed the pair momentarily as the hanyou took a sip of his tea. At last, the quarter demon broke it, saying "You were being truthful with her. Her clan obviously is very secretive, even with their new clan lord. I didn't sense any false truths coming from her. What about you?"

"None." the hanyou stated. Sighing heavily, he ran a hand through his bangs to cover his forehead momentarily. "The neko clan is going to be the death of me."

"It could be much worse. You could have to deal with them in the Council of Clans."

"Not even funny." Iya muttered. Removing his hand, he glanced at his unfinished stack of paperwork and let out a dejected puff of sigh smoke. "I suppose I need to finish this."

"Have fun." Ichigo commented as he stood up and started to leave the room.

Remaining silent for a moment, the hanyou suddenly grabbed his sword beside of him and stood up. He followed after his partner, saying "We're going to the training fields."

"What about the paperwork?" the quarter demon questioned from over his shoulder though he knew the answer already.

"Screw it, I'll do it later. I need to let off some steam."

000

000

"Do you think I'm getting any better at Kidō, Ka-chan?"

Emerald slit eyes slid over to her daughter and a small smile broke out on the face of a neko hanyou who had long black hair with red streaks throughout it flowing down to her butt. Black neko ears twitched slightly at the sounds she heard throughout the hallways the pair walked through. She wore a lavender colored kimono that had blue flower patterns embroidered into it and had a slit that gave her more mobility. Tied around her waist was a royal purple obi sash that tied behind her into a formal bow. Over top the obi sat a black fur covered tail that was wrapped tightly around the neko's hips to keep the tail out of the way. Within her sash sat a sword that had a purple cloth wrapped hilt and a golden guard and was within a black lacquered sheath.

The one asking the question beside of her was a younger neko hanyou. Her jet black hair reached down to her mid-back in length while her black furred tail swished back and forth from the movement of her hips. Amber eyes seemed to shine with natural curiosity, if not a bit of mischief. A bright orange kimono with blue butterflies embroidered into it with a slit to match the elder hanyou's wrapped around her still forming body and gave hints at her developing curves. A white obi sash tied her kimono shut with a sophisticated bow in the back.

"You're improving, Kaia." the older neko replied warmly. Pausing for a moment, she kindly added "It's impressive that you've learned to use through level thirty spells without no incantation so quickly, but you have to remember to keep practicing to get better."

Smiling happily back at her mother, the younger hanyou returned her attention forward. The pair soon noticed someone approaching them.

Moving at a slow pace towards the two hanyous was a neko demoness that had an air of pride fixated in her features. Her midnight blue hair had free hanging bangs on the side that reached her mid-arm in length while the rest was tied up into a fancy bun and held in place by an elaborate black ribbon to the back of her head. A blue colored fur tail swished through the air with the swaying of her hips. On her neck was a black choker collar that sat on top of her pale skin. A blue top and pants fit her form perfectly to reveal all of her curves in the right places and her well sculpted bosom. A red obi belt wrapped around her waist and tied in the back with the ribbons of the bow trailing slightly below her rear. In her obi sat a sword that had a light purple cloth hilt with a round silver guard. The sheath to the sword was midnight blue as well, blending it in well with her clothing. Midnight blue slit eyes regarded the pair momentarily as she silently approached the pair.

"Lilly-sama, what a pleasure to see you." the demoness icily said.

"Sensho-san." Lilly greeted with lackluster enthusiasm. In an attempt to get rid of the woman she preferred not to be bothered with, she asked "Shouldn't you be out checking the Southern Lands Troops or coordinating them in some sort of exercises?"

The neko demoness merely waved off the words, saying "My troops are well prepared for any scenario. What I'm curious about is why is the Lady of the Southern Lands not doing the duties bestowed upon her by the Lord of the South. Perhaps you are taking your responsibilities of being the mate to the Southern Lord far too lightly as always. If you continue to do so, he may choose to find another mate, one more suited to the task."

Inwardly annoyed, the elder neko hanyou sighed within her mind but revealed no frustration in her features. Deciding she doesn't wish to continue to be berated or belittled any further, the hanyou simply walked away.

"Tell me, Lilly-sama, do you even know how to keep your mate happy? I hear he is more often going out to the training grounds with that bodyguard of his to spar and the intensity of their battles seem to reveal a massive amount of frustration. I do hope you are keeping him happy and not letting him suffer." the general pointedly commented.

Lilly merely ignored the statement and continued onward with Kaia in tow. Uneasiness shown in the face of Kaia though she knew not to get involved after a previous incident where she was scolded by her mother for bothering to indulge in giving the general a piece of her mind.

"I hear your mate has met with the head of the neko clan today. Perhaps he is searching out for prospects in replacements." Sensho droned on. "One has to wonder what they are talking about."

Realizing she was not going to get a response, the demoness quickly asks "Do you even know what it means to be neko, Lady of the South?"

The older hanyou immediately came to a stop upon hearing words that made her remember incidents in the past when accused of the same situation.

"_... In fact, you don't even know what it means to be neko. You were a weak human turned into a half breed by that foolish mage Kenshin Himura. Don't even think you can begin to understand how nekos feel or act!_"

Those words spitefully said to her by her former friend turned enemy repeated within Lilly's mind for a moment. Hearing those words made her long for a secret desire that she had pushed aside long ago in order to focus on her life. Now the desire returned to truly understand.

"You understand nothing about being a neko demon. I would wager to bet that you wouldn't last one day in the neko clan's home." the neko demoness smugly taunted.

Remaining silent for several long moments, Lilly at last spoke in a mere whisper, asking "Could the clan really teach me?"

A bit surprised by the question but also inwardly satisfied that she was asked, Sensho sauntered up to the elder hanyou and coolly said "Perhaps if you could get Akina-sama to agree to it you could learn. I think it is a lost cause but maybe you can convince her otherwise. Not that I think you have the courage to go ask."

"She is currently here as I recall." Lilly mumbled to herself. Walking away in the general direction of the rooms that housed guests, the Lady of the South stopped suddenly and said "If you want Kaia, you may come with me or go on ahead."

That split second was all it took for Kaia to go after her mother. Flashing a smile at her, she received a nod from her mother and the two proceeded onwards down the hall.

"_Too easy._" Sensho smugly commented within her mind as she merely chuckled.

000

000

The Lady and one of the Princess' of the Southern Lands soon reached the portion of the Southern Keep that housed guests. Before coming down the hallway the elder hanyou had asked one of the guards which room the clan lord resided in. Once she had found out she was quickly on her way towards the end of the hallway.

Arriving at the room soon enough, Lilly reached out and knocked on the door. A few moments passed before Akina appeared before the pair with a bewildered look on her face but hastily bowed to the Lady of the South.

Returning the bow, the elder hanyou softly said "Akina-san, I've come to make a request of you."

"What possible request could I fulfill, Lilly-sama?" Akina inquired with a puzzled expression.

"I wish to learn more about the neko clan and to learn their ways."

Showing a touch of shock at the request but quickly masking it, the neko clan lord softly smiled and coolly replied "I would enjoy showing you how to act like a true neko, Lilly-sama, however, it comes with a request of my own."

"I request that you speak to your mate and try to ask him to ease up the sanctions imposed upon my clan. That is my only requirement."

"_Meddling in Iya's affairs as the Southern Lord will not be pleasant. I can already hear him being rather upset over it._" Lilly grumbled within her mind. Making up her mind, the hanyou cleared her throat and said "I will speak to him about it. I make no promises though."

"Of course, Lilly-sama." Akina responded in a respectful tone. "I will await word from you and once I have received it, I will make the necessary arrangements for you at my clan's homelands for your visit and training."

Bowing to one another, the pair remained staring at each other for a short moment before the demoness retreated to back within her room. Turning and collecting her daughter, the neko hanyou proceeded down the hallway, her mind already pitching ideas on how to broach the subject with her mate.

000

000

The sound of footsteps softly approaching woke the Lord of the Southern Lands from his light slumber, however, he remained still and feigned sleep. A few moments later, the scent of his beloved mate filled his nostrils, confirming his suspicions that she had found him.

Moonlight gave Lilly sight of her mate's lounging figure in the branches of the tree he had made his own personal spot for the time being. Faintly smiling, she felt a small hint of uneasiness bubbling up from her stomach to remind her of what she had come to speak with him about.

"_I guess it's now or never._" she decided.

Approaching the tree slowly, the neko got to the base at long last and crouched down slightly before effortlessly leaping onto the branch her mate lounged on. Using her tail to balance herself, she smiled sweetly at his peaceful face. Years of living together gave her all the signs that he was feigning sleep in hopes of fooling her into possibly laying with him. Taking a seat on the branch, she reached out with her tail and grasped hold of the thick branch to better hold her onto it.

In taking a sharp breath, she softly asked "Iya, can we talk?"

"_That tone tells me she has something on her mind._" the male hanyou inwardly thought.

Opening his eyes to stare at the beautiful silhouette of his lifetime mate, the dog hanyou yawned slightly and sat up. "I guess."

Silenced engulfed the pair for several long moments that made the dog hanyou wonder what was so difficult for his mate to speak of but didn't have much longer to wait.

"This is important to me, so please, hear me out."

Receiving a nod from her mate and seeing she had his full attention, Lilly gathered up her courage and said "Something has been bothering me recently. It was thoughts I had in the past and thought I had shrugged them off, but they've returned."

Glancing up at the night sky, she pressed on, saying "I want to travel to the neko clan's homelands and learn more about the neko demons. I've always yearned to learn more about them so I could know more about my demon nature and satisfy the side of my mind that has always thought on it."

"_Damn that Akina for daring to drag my mate into this matter._"

"No."

"Just no?" Lilly questioned as her voice rose a few decibels. Smoldering anger reflecting in her emerald eyes, the hanyou asked "Why?"

The dog hanyou remained tight lipped, further angering the neko hanyou. Calming herself a bit, she coolly said "Iya, this is important to me. Please at least hear me out on this and not just shut down this conversation without reasoning it out with me."

Heavily sighing as he stood, Iya looked away from his mate and quietly replied "The neko clan is using you as a play to return to the Council of Clans. They want you to force my hand in a matter that I will not allow. By having you visit their clans, they think it is a sign of good faith and expect me to lessen their punishments. That is probably what Akina asked for, right?"

"How did you ..."

"I'm not stupid Lilly. I know Akina was most likely the one to talk to you about going to visit the neko clan. She mentioned your status to me today during our meeting about the fact you are a neko hanyou yet are not punished like they are. I refused to bend to her so she is now trying to use you against me in hopes that you can persuade me to lessen their penalties imposed upon them."

Staring straight into his mate's eyes, he firmly added "I maintain my stance on the subject and no matter what you say will change it."

"I understand."

Taken back by his mate's words, the male hanyou had no chance to respond as she continued on.

"I was not expecting you to change your mind on their past. I only was asked to talk to you about it. The subject has been on my mind also and I think I have come with a resolution."

In taking a deep breath, she said "Should you allow me to go, I can assess their situation and help you determine if they are learning from their mistakes. That would go a long way in bringing them back under the Southern Lands rule and possibly remedying this mess."

"Rebuilding a relationship with the neko clan is important to you. It is something we have talked about before and I understand your stance. This is merely a suggestion that I have to try and build confidence in not only their clan but relations with them. Other clans will see this as encouraging and possibly help in your efforts to continue the restoration of the Southern Lands."

"Aside from that, I really truly want to go visit the neko clan." Lilly added. Pausing for a moment to look away, she quietly said "Kaia has been asking me about how neko demons are supposed to behave. Even to this day, I still don't know. I've only had a few examples and those that I've seen have been very poor in choice."

Looking up at her mate with her eyes shining full of determination, she stated "I want to learn more about the nekos so I can pass that along to our daughter so she will not have to suffer a similar second guessing of herself."

Turning away from his mate for a moment and resting his hand upon the trunk of the tree, Iya gripped the bark roughly to the point his claws had dug in slightly. In a bitter tone, he grunted out "I thought you were satisfied with yourself. That was the answer you gave me seventeen years ago when we last discussed this topic. As I recall, you said 'I am who I am.' Was that just a lie to appease me at the time?"

"It wasn't." Lilly coolly replied. "I was satisfied with that answer back then. But now, with Kaia asking about her neko side, I just want to satisfy not only her craving but the one I've subconsciously had as well. The answers I seek can only be found in the neko clan's home."

The dog hanyou tensed a bit upon hearing the answer from his mate. His claws dug a bit deeper into the bark as he felt his mind in turmoil over what to do.

"_She won't let this go. It's that important to her and because of Kaia she won't ever give up hope in finding out more about the neko demons. I guess she's forced my hand and left me with no choice. Still, I won't let her go alone._"

"Very well Lilly." the dog hanyou said in a calm tone. Turning to face his mate, he continued on with "I understand that this is something important to you. You want to learn more about the neko demons for not only yourself, but to also pass along that knowledge to our children, namely Kaia. As well, I realize you wish to assist in bettering relations between the Southern Lands and the neko clan. I will consent to your request."

A grin slowly formed on the neko's face only to stop as her mate spoke up again.

"However, I have one requirement. I want you to take a bodyguard with you."

Happiness soon vanished from the neko hanyou's face as a frown marred her looks. "I can protect myself."

Nodding in agreement, Iya replied "This is true, however, I still want you to take a bodyguard with you on your trip."

"There is no point in arguing, I suppose." Lilly surmised. "Very well, I will take a bodyguard with me to the neko clan. Who is the question."

"A very interesting question to say the least." the dog hanyou commented.

Sitting down onto the branch, the neko sighed and said "Orihime can't go since she is three months along in her first pregnancy."

Letting out a faint chuckle, she added "Ichigo won't leave Orihime alone so asking him to go would be pointless. Aside from that, he would be useless due to his constant worrying over Orihime's wellbeing when she is not within sight."

Becoming quiet, the female hanyou closed her eyes and ran through the list of possible bodyguards that she could ask.

"_Yukio would not willingly agree to go, aside from the fact that the neko demons probably would have no part of it. Whomever I choose will have to be probably at the very least a neko hanyou or demon, with a hanyou less likely to be allowed. That tremendously narrows my field of choices down._"

A dejected sigh escaped her lips after a few more moments. "_The few neko demons I know I would rather not have to deal with, namely Sensho._"

An image of a particular happy neko came to mind, making the hanyou's eyes snap open and a small knowing grin appear on her face.

Standing, Lilly stared straight at Iya and said "My choice of bodyguard is May Chang, Ryo and Tsunade's daughter."

"Why May?" Iya calmly asked with a raised eyebrow.

Smiling still at her mate, the neko hanyou evenly responded "She is a neko demon herself, so that should satisfy any complaints about a bodyguard accompanying me. As well, May is an accomplished young woman that can cover off on the position of bodyguard."

Rolling the words of his mate around in his mind for a moment, the dog hanyou at last relented and nodded his head. "I think she would be a fine choice. You need to clear it with her first, and I'm certain it will need cleared with Akina."

"Right."

"Now then, there is the issue of when. Remember, we are expecting company in the next few days, meaning you'll be tied up for at least two weeks. Make sure to work that out with Akina when you speak with her." Iya remarked.

"I will. Don't worry mate, I will take care of it."

Nodding his head, the dog hanyou reached out for his mate, offering his hand to her. Taking it, the neko felt herself pulled closer till their bodies were flush up against each other. The pair stared into one another's eyes as love reflected back at each other.

"Shall we go in then?" Iya asked kindly.

Slightly nodding her head, Lilly replied "Lets."

000

000

"May-chan, Lilly-san is here to see you."

Turning to the voice of her mother was a young woman with ebony black hair pulled back into two buns, one on each side of her head. Three braided ponytails rained down from each bun, giving her six in total. Her skin was cream colored and had a youthful glow to it. Black slit eyes showed kindness and a childish spirit. Pointed ears poked along the sides of the buns. Swishing a few times behind her was a black fur covered tail. Her outfit consisted of a simple maroon top and pants while a white obi tied around her waist and formed an elegant bow above her rump. A pair of black slip on shoes covered her feet.

Staring at the woman that had adopted her and she now called mother without any reservations, the neko demon took in her image. The buxom dog demoness had long straight blonde hair that was pulled back into twin ponytails and trailed down to her mid-back in length and left her bangs free to frame the sides of her face. A single gray-blue diamond shaped marking adorned her forehead and amber eyes revealed nothing but softness for the neko demoness, along with the fact to her dog demon heritage. Her well endowed chest jiggled slightly with each simple motion she made while the remainder of her body was toned and had appropriate curves in the right places. A green open jacket reached down to the back of her knees while beneath it a gray tank top was tied shut by a blue obi with a simplistic bow hidden in the back. Blue pants ran down to just above her lower calves in length. A pair of high heeled were on her feet and made her height seem slightly improved.

"Did you hear me, May-chan?" the buxom asked.

Waking from looking at her mother, the young neko woman brightly smiled and sheepishly replied "Gomen Ka-chan."

Shrugging it off, the blonde dog demoness motioned her daughter to go on. The neko took her cue and headed into the main room area that had been built for guests that visited the three mages. Their set of rooms all were adjoining and enabled them to take up a whole wing on their own for their purposes.

Seeing the Lady of the South looking at a tapestry, the neko demoness smiled and stopped a few feet away. A moment passed before the hanyou turned and smiled warmly at her.

"It is good to see you, May-san."

Bowing slightly as she responded, May respectfully replied "I'm glad to see you as well, Lilly-sama."

"No need to be so formal with me, May-san."

"Alright, Lilly-san." the neko remarked with a smile. "Is there anything I can get you?"

Shaking her head quickly, the hanyou replied "No thank you. Tsunade-san already offered. I actually came to speak to you about something important."

Seriousness washed over the younger woman's face as she nodded her head and awaited the words of the Lady of the South.

"I wish to ask for your services as a bodyguard on a trip I'm about to undertake. Orihime-san is three months along in her first pregnancy, making her unable to go with me. Her mate, Ichigo-san, would never leave her side long enough for such a mission. So I thought I would ask you if you perhaps would take over the role temporarily on this trip." Lilly requested.

Face scrunching up, May coolly questioned "Where are you going exactly?"

Faintly smiling, the neko hanyou replied "I'm going to visit the homelands of the neko clan to learn more about neko demons. Iya will not allow me to go unless it is under escort. Another restriction I'm certain that will be placed on whomever goes with me must be someone that the neko clan will approve of. Asking you does not seem unreasonable since you are a neko demon."

"There is a problem." May interjected. "I am a foreigner. They may object to that fact."

"Let me worry about that." Lilly remarked with a confident smile. "Akina-san will most likely let that fact slide since it was my request to visit in the first place and everything hinges on me getting permission from Iya to visit. Should she deny you coming, the visit will not happen due that I do not have an appropriate bodyguard."

Soaking in the words of the Lady of the South, the neko remained quiet for a few moments before at last speaking again. "When would this trip take place?"

Lilly tapped her chin for a few seconds till she said "I'm not certain. We have visitors coming to the Southern Keep over the next few days and they will remain here for at least two weeks. That means most likely preparations will need to have everything ready in a month. At least that is what I'm hoping for."

Folding her arms over her chest, May slid her eyes shut and seemed to drift off into her own thoughts. After a minute, she opened her eyes and finally said "I would be honored to go with you, Lilly-san. I swear I will do my best to protect you."

"Arigatō, May-san. That comforts me that you will go. Do not worry too much though. Iya merely wants someone with me just in case."

"You are the Lady of the South, so it makes sense." May commented.

Shrugging, the hanyou smiled once more and said "Well, I must take my leave. I have to catch Akina-san and let her know the details. She agreed to wait until I delivered my decision on the matter. Arigatō once more, May-san."

000

000

"Do you really think it's wise to let her go do this?"

Vein popping out in his brow as he smashed his hands down onto his low desk, Iya threw a death glare directly at Ichigo with a look that could kill. In a low, agitated tone, he retorted "Do you really need to nag me about it?"

"I'm just saying that maybe you should rethink this idea." the quarter demon responded evenly.

Pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes as he felt a bit of pressure building in his head from an oncoming headache, the hanyou muttered "I'm not in a position to."

Raising an eyebrow, the orange haired man asked "And why not?"

"This is something Lilly wants to do. I can't stop her for wanting to go and discover more about her neko heritage." Iya answered in a tired tone.

Folding his arms over his chest, Ichigo quipped "She wasn't born of the nekos though. Lilly was a human transformed into a neko hanyou, forcefully mind you."

Throwing an agitated glare at his partner, the hanyou remarked "I'm fully aware of that fact."

"Then why not argue the point?"

"Why don't you go argue with your mate over how she isn't supposed to do anything and tell me how that ends. " Iya hotly retorted.

"That's different." Ichigo childishly muttered.

"It isn't." the hanyou deadpanned. "Lilly wants to learn more about neko demons. This came up seventeen years ago, however, she concluded at that time she was happy with herself for being the way she is."

Sighing heavily, he added "Because of Kaia's questioning over the same thing and most likely Akina's meddling, she has come full circle to this question again. If I denied her this opportunity, she would take it personally and cause many issues among the two of us. Not to mention, she would think I do not want her to explore that part of herself and had no interest in allowing our children to know either."

"It's similar to you letting Orihime do some stuff on her own though you want her to sit perfectly still so as not to risk something happening. You accepted the fact she can still do stuff though you don't like it." the hanyou explained.

Looking out the window for a few long moments, the quarter demon remarked "I still don't like the fact you're letting her go. A lot could go wrong."

"As true as that statement is, I have to let her do it on her own. Perhaps she can get through to the neko clan but I somehow doubt that. We'll just have to see how it goes."

"I still don't like it."

"Then go with her if you don't." Iya all but growled out.

Waving his hands, Ichigo protested quickly and said "No, no, I don't."

"Then shut up so I can get my work done."

**Thanks everyone for reading the chapter. Now, if you could do me a kind favor and review to let me know what you think of the chapter, I'd appreciate it. Till next time!**


	2. Chapter 2: Visits

**Hello again everyone! Well, first off, I am so, so sorry for not posting this chapter on time. Hell, I'm way behind on my schedule to post. Usually I'm done in two weeks' time with a chapter and ready to send it out. This time around, several things happened.**

**First off, I went on vacation one week after posting. That put a damper on writing since I was out enjoying myself. I really, really needed the vacation though there was drama before leaving and when returning over my wife's car, but oh well.**

**Secondly, I began my new job when I returned from my vacation. At my previous job, I had plenty of time to write during the day. My new job does not allow for such conveniences sadly, not to mention we are not allowed to plug in flash drives, so writing had to be done at home. I had less than a ¼ of a chapter done before I started my new job and that didn't change that entire week.**

**Thirdly, my dad began second cutting of hay. Ugh, it just interfered with everything yet again.**

**Lastly, I know these are excuses, lol, but as I've said previously in other chapters, real life comes first. Unfortunately, this chapter suffered its effects, horribly.**

**Until further notice, I'm not sure how often my chapters will be spaced out. I'm shooting for 2 weeks still, but reality might be further apart. It just depends on how much time I have to write. I have time but I need to unwind sometimes too. I'll try my best.**

**My apologies again for this long break in action.**

**Now then, moving on, thanks to both Kattana and alex 988 for your reviews. I always love seeing what you two have to say.**

**alex 988: I'm putting _Eternal War_ off for the moment until this story is done. I had a choice between the two and am glad I didn't attempt to do both at the same time. Once upon a time, I did try to do two stories at once. Needless to say, I hated it, lol. I felt I just couldn't do both when I got into both. I finished both but felt I didn't show either of them the kind of attention they needed. Anyways, I intend on doing _Eternal War_ still, just not now since _Identity_ has started. Thanks as always for your review!**

**Well, that about wraps it up for me. Ugh, the sleep schedule I've been on for this new job has been killing me. One month in and I'm still not 100% adjusted. Oh well…**

**Thanks as always to everyone who reads this story. Feel free to review. Until next time, enjoy!**

**Meanings for certain words:**

_**oyaji = old man, father (rude way of saying it)**_

_**nee = older sister**_

_**baka = idiot**_

_**Gomen'nasai = I'm sorry (rudely put)**_

_**-bō = diminutive way of expressing endearment. Used towards boys alone.**_

_**-hime = princess, lady of high standing**_

_**gomen = sorry (non-formal)**_

_**imouto = younger sister**_

_**otouto = little brother (personal or close relationship)**_

_**oji = uncle**_

_**Sōryūha = Dragon Strike**_

_**mei = niece**_

_**chichi = father (used in talking about your father)**_

_**haha = mother (like chichi, used to talk about your mother)**_

_**kyōdai = siblings (used mainly for brothers but can encompass brothers and sisters)**_

**Chapter 2**

"Why can't we go back inside, Oyaji? I'd rather be training than standing around out here in the blazing hot sun. I'd even settle for chores."

Rolling his eyes at his youngest daughter's words, Iya grumbled "_Just like her uncle._"

The moody ten year old girl stood with her arms folded over her chest and had short silver and black mixed hair that reached to just the bottom of her chin in length, giving her more of a boyish look. Her sky blue eyes reflected annoyance for the current situation. Dog ears swiveled a few times looking for anything of interest. Her choice of clothing consisted of an orange top and mid-thigh length shorts with a purple obi tying the two together in a messy knot and sandals on her feet.

"Ryoko, it's important we wait out here to greet our guests properly." Lilly retorted with a hint of agitation in her voice. "Please try to remain patient. They'll be here before you know it."

"It's alright, Ryoko-nee-san. We'll spar later." piped up an eight year old boy with a wide smile that had black hair and red mixed into his bangs pulled back into a short ponytail. A mischievous nature seemed to radiate from his chocolate eyes. Two black neko ears tweaked slightly while his black furred tail swished behind him excitedly. A dark emerald green top and pants embroidered with golden stitching depicting several dragons covered him up while a golden colored obi with purple embroidered into it held the two together. On his feet were a set of black boots in the same fashion of his father.

"Don't start with me, baka."

Grinning madly at his sister, the young neko hanyou replied "But nee-san we had a great fight last time. Why won't you swallow your pride and admit that I got the jump on you."

A loud whacking sound filled the air with a loud yelp accompanying it. Standing over her brother with her fist clenched and vein popping out of her forehead, Ryoko snarled out "You're lucky I didn't kill you that time, baka! If I hadn't of held back my attack I'd have hurt you seriously. And I told you to never attack someone like that to begin with! Oyaji stressed that thoroughly if you remember!"

"Enough of that, Ryoko." Iya commanded in a stern tone. "Apologize to Makoto."

The young dog hanyou looked at her father as if he had grown a second head but saw the seriousness within his muddy brown eyes. Deciding not to push her luck but hating to seem weak in front of her siblings, she muttered a low apology that could barely be heard.

"Ryoko." her father warned.

Hiding beneath the shadows of her bangs, the young dog hanyou grunted out "Gomen."

Sighing as he turned and picked his daughter up by the scruff of her collar, the Lord of the South brought her face to face with him. "Come now pup, you can do better. Address your brother right and apologize correctly."

Uncomfortable with the fact she was being treated like a baby at the moment and knowing she couldn't get out of the situation even if she wanted to, Ryoko heavily sighed as she felt herself turned towards her brother. Taking a deep breath, she willed the words out her mouth in the kindest tone she could muster.

"Gomen'nasai Makoto-bō."

Rolling his eyes and sighing slightly, Iya grunted "Better."

Gently, he set his daughter onto the ground and added in a kind tone "Please Ryoko-hime, behave yourself today."

The younger dog hanyou threw a semi-angry glare at her father for a moment but was met with kind eyes. Knowing he wasn't insulting her but instead using a nickname he had given her when she was much smaller, she let it go.

"Baka." Kaia grunted in a low tone.

Throwing a challenging glare at her older sister, the dog hanyou child began to sharply reply only to be cut off by the hardened look of her father.

"Kaia, do not provoke your sister." Iya firmly stated. "You know better. Apologize now."

The eldest child of the dog and neko hanyous seemed to shuffle her feet for a few moments and acted as if she actually didn't want to. At last in a strained tone, she said "Gomen imouto-san."

Before anymore chaos could ensue, Ichigo flashed in front of the five. "Yo."

"Strawberry!" Makoto called out with a bright smile.

Sweat dropping and throwing a scowl towards Kaia, the quarter demon grunted out "Yeah, yeah, strawberry is here. I swear, I should ..."

"Are they near?" Iya interrupted.

Ichigo immediately turned his attention to the dog hanyou and nodded his head. "They should be arriving in the next five minutes."

The Lord of the South merely nodded as he scanned the horizon. He could already sense the approaching auras of those he had expected along with their scents due to the wind blowing in his direction.

Almost five minutes passed before the caravan of travelling dog hanyous appeared on the horizon.

The lead hanyou's silver hair reached his butt in length and hung limply until the breeze would kick it up. Silver furred dog ears swiveled, listening for any sounds that may raise the alarm. Amber eyes held annoyance within them but also had a kindness just beneath the surface. A red kimono top tucked into red pants made of fire rat hide clothed his body with a messy obi tying them together. Around his neck hung a set of purple prayer beads that had white fang like beads strung into it. Strapped to his hip was a sword with a tattered gray cloth hilt and golden guard sitting within a black lacquered sheath. His bare feet made little sound with each of his steps.

On his right side with a smile on her face was his mate. The female dog hanyou's long ebony black hair fell to just below her rear. Two black furred dog ears slightly moved on the top of her head while dark honey colored eyes kept watch. Slightly shifting behind her with each step was a black puffy tail. She wore a similar outfit to what the red robed dog hanyou wore with hers being pink instead, minus the prayer beads and had on a pair of wooden sandals. Sitting in her neatly tied obi was her own sword that had a purple braided cloth on the hilt and was within its own black sheath.

In her arms was a sleeping one year old hanyou child. The young child had black ebony hair like his mother; however, the tips had silver. Silver dog ears sat upon his small head and barely moved while he slept. He was wrapped up in a black outfit that was light enough to give him some comfort in the summer heat.

Trailing behind the pair of elder hanyous was their eldest daughter. She had a patient look etched into her features as her amber eyes kept locked on her parents' backs. Black and silver hair spilled down to her calves in length and floated slightly when the breeze would pitch it into the air. Her petite body was wrapped up in a purple and black kimono with a black obi tying it shut that gave the vibe of elegance but at the same time allowed for mobility. A set of wooden sandals were on her feet. Within her obi was a sword that had a blue wrapped cloth hilt, an intricately cut golden guard with a dragon within it, and a polished white sheath that had a blue and orange painted dragon near the end of it.

Beside of their sister was a pair of twin dog hanyous that were twenty years old each. The first was a young man with raven colored hair that fell to his mid-back in length and two black dog ears on top of his head. Chocolate eyes showed kindness within them and a hint of mischief. A puffy dog tail, a trait of his mother's, sat on his rump. He wore an outfit similar to his father's, with exception of his being a dark blue color. A sword rested on his hip that had a dark blue braided hilt and a golden five flower petal guard in a blue polished sheath. On his back he had a quiver full of red feather arrows and a polished black lacquered bow. Like his father, he wore no shoes but did have strips of white fabric to support his arches and wrapped around his ankle.

His twin sister next to him was nearly the spitting image of her father. Silver hair spilled down to her mid-back but was bound up in a ponytail. Violet eyes shone with mischief but hid her curious nature. The clothing she had chosen was an outfit nearly identical to her mother's with the only difference in color, that being she wore yellow. Resting in her obi was a sword with an orange cloth wrapped hilt and a silver five flower petal guard within an orange sheath. She too had similar strips of white fabric on her feet like her brother.

The group of five was soon before the Lord of the South and his family. Lilly immediately moved forward and carefully hugged the eldest black haired hanyou, saying "Kagome, it's been so long! I see little Touga-kun has gotten much bigger."

Lovingly as she shifted the babe in her arms, Kagome replied "He has a healthy appetite, just like his daddy."

"Feh."

"You seem happy as ever, otouto." Iya playfully commented.

"Yeah, well, we had a long trip." the silver haired hanyou grumbled.

Slapping his brother on the back, the Lord of the South smartly said "Now, now Inuyasha, don't be such a sour puss. You're here to relax for a few weeks."

Earning himself a slight glare, Iya smirked and moved on to the three younger hanyous. "It's good to see you three. How was your trip, Izayoi, Daiki, and Asami?"

"Great! I caught a large fish yesterday!" Asami chirped. Spreading her arms wide to show its measurement, she said "It was this big!"

Chuckling at his niece, the hanyou saw Daiki smile wide too and fold his arms behind his head while Izayoi remained quiet and reserved.

In a joking manner, the Lord of the South said "I see spending all that time with your other oji-san has rubbed off on you, Izayoi-chan."

"Not at all, oji-san." the eldest of the children said in a monotone voice.

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha muttered "Damn bastard made her a clone."

"Inuyasha…" Kagome said with an overly sweet tone.

Realizing what he had set himself up for, the male hanyou quickly turned to his mate with a surrendering gesture, saying "Kagome, now wait, please, don't …"

"SIT BOY!"

Before the silver haired hanyou could finish pleading he was jerked to the ground by the power of the prayer beads around his neck. He instantly smashed face first into the dirt with a resounding thump. A groan escaped the depression where he now resided.

The small boy in the visibly irritated female hanyou's arms let out a soft coo and laughed at his father while his siblings stifled laughs.

Iya and Lilly sweat dropped at the current situation over the plight of the dog hanyou lying on the ground. Kaia remained as reserved as she could but had to hold her hands over her mouth to keep from letting laughter spill out. Ryoko smirked at her uncle laid out, meanwhile Makoto outright let loose deep, boisterous laughter.

With the spell finally released, Inuyasha fought the urge to shoot back up. Instead, he remained lying flat on the ground and tried to gather his thoughts. At last ready, he stood up slowly to find his mate glowering at him, seemingly daring him to say something in response to the actions she had taken against him.

Stuffing his hands in his sleeves, the red robed hanyou gruffly asked "Can we move on?"

"Sure little whipped puppy." Ichigo stated in a smug tone and made a motioning manner for the others to follow. He didn't even give the hanyou a chance to respond as he turned away.

"This is going to be an entertaining next few weeks." the quarter demon commented aloud to no one in particular.

000

000

Light blue bolts of demonic energy surged forth across the training grounds. Its source was the sword within the right hand of Izayoi. The weapon was coated in a light blue demonic aura and held horizontally before her. Without warning, the bolts formed a massive light blue energy dragon with a long sinewy body and a head with a flowing mane. The dragon was twisting in the sky and letting out a screech as it seemed to await a command from its master.

Drawing her weapon back to her left side, the female hanyou swung it hard, all the while crying out in a cold tone "Sōryūha!"

The dragon vanished but the energy did not disperse. Instead, it took up the form of three claw like waves of energy with lightning still crackling off of it as it ripped up the ground.

Izayoi's target of choice twenty feet away was a wall of ice that stood ten feet tall and was three foot thick. Ravaging the ground, the attack struck its target and formed a column of energy surging into the sky as the dragon returned and roared loudly before a massive explosion bathed the area in a blast of light blue light.

Slowly, the energy dissipated and revealed that the wall of ice was completely unaffected. The ground before the wall was dug down half a foot but behind the wall the ground was unchanged.

Panting heavily as bolts shot off her blade a few more times before at last vanishing, Izayoi fell to one knee. A frown marred her features as she continued to stare at the ice wall in surprise that it was still there after the full force of her attack had hit.

"It's very remarkable that you've managed to advance this far already in life, Izayoi-chan."

Watching her uncle step out from behind the ice wall and approach her slowly, she slid her eyes to the ground and muttered "It wasn't enough to destroy your ice."

"Don't beat yourself up too much, mei." Iya softly said. "Ketsaiga's ice is difficult to cut through. Even the former lord of these lands couldn't completely cut through Ice Barrier after Ketsaiga's power had matured. For you to cut through it would have been surprising."

Remaining quiet, the younger hanyou at last calmed her breathing and stood back up. A look of determination set in on her features as she replied "I want to try again."

"_That exhausted and she still has the stubborn will to keep going. So very much like her father._"

Waking from his momentary thought, the Lord of the South shook his head. "That's enough for now, Izayoi-chan."

"I want to try again. Please oji-san." Izayoi said in a strong pleading tone.

"Izayoi-chan…" the hanyou began but stopped and shook his head. "Gomen Izayoi-chan, we are not going to continue."

Continuing on, he added "I'm sure Sesshomaru warned you about not overdoing things when using that attack. Right now, as you are, using that attack again would be too much on your system and you'd probably pass out from exhaustion."

Turning away from his niece and sighing as he crossed his arms over his chest, the elder hanyou coolly said "Sesshomaru probably determined that you could only use that attack a total of twice a day when you managed to manifest it the first time. It's harder on your system than it would have been on his so he probably told you to at max use it twice in a fight. Once maybe early on, the second time late in the fight."

Looking back at his niece, the dog hanyou saw the expression of shock on her face that seemed to ask if she was that transparent. "I figured it out on my own before you ask. This was a lot of guess work by going on what I've felt from your demonic aura and judging by the power you exhibited during our sparring session, plus what I can feel from your current level of power."

Taking in her uncle's words and processing them, the dog hanyou let out a soft sigh. Sheathing her sword, she coolly replied "Sesshomaru-oji-san did warn me about not using Sōryūha more than once in battle. During our training sessions, he let me use it twice a day, but only once in the morning and once in the evening."

"The gap in time let your body recover a bit and restore some of your energy." Iya commented.

The black and silver haired hanyou merely nodded mutely. Noting her demeanor, the black haired hanyou sheepishly smiled.

"Try not to take it personally. Sesshomaru doesn't want you to accidentally hurt yourself during training or in battle. Nor do I for that matter."

"I understand that." Izayoi softly commented. Looking directly into her uncle's muddy brown eyes with her own amber ones, she added with conviction ringing in her voice "I just want to get stronger to be able to help chichi and haha protect my kyōdai should anything ever happen like before."

Confused but surprised at his niece's statement, the elder hanyou asked "Like before?"

This time it was the younger hanyou who looked away. In a small voice, she responded slowly with "That war…"

"Izayoi…" Iya mumbled as realization of his niece's concerns became clear. Clenching his fist tightly as he felt the weight of her statement in his mind, the male dog hanyou couldn't help but understand the powerlessness she had felt years before.

"_Another victim of that damn war between the lands. She was only five when it began and to have to deal with it for three years no doubt has left her with some scars that may never heal._"

Studying her for several moments, elder dog hanyou let out a soft sigh. "Izayoi-chan, we'll continue to spar for now. However, there is one condition."

Immediately looking at her uncle in surprise in her features, the younger hanyou waited anxiously to see what the condition was.

"You will not use Sōryūha again during this match. Fight me only using your sword skills. I will help make you much, much stronger."

A slight gasp escaped the female hanyou's lips as she stared at her uncle. She saw nothing but determination and honestly flowing from his eyes, along with compassion that made her know he understood her desires.

Smiling brightly, Izayoi nodded her head, saying "Hai!"

000

000

"Gotcha!"

Thrusting her sword forward to stab Ichigo in the gut, Asami couldn't help but gasp as her target easily evaded her attack by side stepping her. All battle, he had remained relatively unmoving with his hands simply at his sides and Zangetsu still on his back.

Hearing a whistling sound, the quarter demon shifted his head to the left just in time to elude a Sacred Arrow that went buzzing by his head. Searching the tree line for where the arrow came from, he smirked to himself when he spotted slight movement, signaling that Daiki was on the move yet again.

"Damn, I just can't get a clear shot. Onee-chan had him set up and I couldn't hit him." Daiki cursed silently.

On the battlefield, Asami pressed the attack again with multiple high speed slashes and thrusts.

"QUIT DODGING AND FIGHT ME!" Asami roared. Her famous temper she had inherited from her father was visibly starting to get the better of her as her attacks became wilder with each swing.

Saying nothing, Ichigo continued to evade her blows. A small smile formed on his face as he saw the frustration building up.

"Temper, temper." the quarter demon taunted.

"I'LL SHOW YOU TEMPER!" the silver haired hanyou practically screamed.

In the tree line, watching the battle continue to unfold, Daiki tiredly sighed at his sister's typical antics.

"Onee-chan is losing it. I doubt she'll be able to create an opening at this rate."

Notching an arrow and taking aim, the raven haired hanyou readied himself knowing a window of opportunity would vanish quickly if he was not prepared.

Frantically still slashing at the quarter demon, the female hanyou suddenly flashed to behind him and threw a surprise stab. The quarter demon was able to evade without much effort.

At that, the hanyou's attacks seemed to become more refined while her angered features melted away and a confident smirk appeared on her face.

"Now for the finale!" Asami declared as she vanished. She immediately reappeared in the air coming down straight at Ichigo with her sword drawn up over her head.

Asami was surprised when she saw her opponent was standing his ground. Undeterred, she swung her blade downwards in a powerful slash with all of her strength.

Instead of cutting through her opponent, the hanyou gasped in surprise that her blade was caught by a single right hand. Landing on the ground, she still pushed weight towards him but found her sword wouldn't move at all. Gritting her teeth, she started to try and wrench away her blade but the quarter demon stubbornly held on.

"_He caught it!? Dodging it I could see but literally catching it I never expected. Just what the hell have I gotten myself into!?_" Asami pondered.

Seeing his opening due that the quarter demon held onto his sister's sword, Daiki careful took aim and released his Sacred Arrow.

The arrow whizzed through the air from the wood line straight on target. It seemed to be on target and would not be stopped due to it being on his right side where he held the hanyou's sword back.

Quicker than the pair could keep track of with their own eyes, Ichigo moved his left hand out and took hold of the sword his right hand held back and caught the arrow in his now free right hand.

A gasp escaped the male dog hanyou when he witnessed the arrow being caught. He quickly moved from his spot in hopes of finding a new location to attack from.

Still holding the arrow, Ichigo smirked and moved closer to Asami and drew her up under his left arm. She started throwing a fit over it but didn't have much time to say much as the pair vanished into thin air.

Daiki was running hard to find a new position as his last shot ran through his mind. "_I can't believe it that he caught my attack. It should have hurt him to do so!? What the hell is going on?_"

Skidding to a stop, his eyes widened when he saw Ichigo appear directly in front of himself with Asami tucked under his left arm. Before he could move, Daiki felt the weight of his sister's body hitting him hard and sending him falling back onto the ground.

"The game is over you two. I win." Ichigo declared. Smirking when he heard the pair grumble as they tried to get back to their feet, he crossed his arms over his chest and added "You had a pretty good strategy. The two of you make a good team."

Silence took over for several moments before the quarter demon asked "Shall we have another go at it?"

Perking up at the prospect of a rematch, the twins stood quickly. The two nodded their heads enthusiastically, earning them a smirk from Ichigo.

000

000

"Thanks for training with the pups."

Glancing over at his brother with a smile, Iya replied "It was nothing. They've gotten stronger since the last time I saw them. You should be quite proud of them."

Shuffling his feet a bit, the silver haired hanyou stared out at the sunset. The pair currently was within the gardens outside of the Southern Keep. They had been talking about the goings on of Edo and the Southern Lands.

"Is something on your mind?" the older hanyou enquired.

Inuyasha seemed to ignore his brother's request as he continued to stare at the sinking sun. At last, he turned towards his elder brother with resolve in his amber eyes.

In a calm but serious tone, he said "I want to fight with you, Iya."

"What?" Iya queried, surprise evidently on his face. With confusion in his voice, he softly questioned "What's this about?"

"Yes or no?" the silver haired hanyou impatiently demanded.

Rubbing the back of his head, the black haired hanyou remarked "What brought this about? I'll spar with you if you want. It's not like I've ever turned you …"

"Not spar, fight." Inuyasha corrected. "I want you to come at me like you would an enemy."

Still confused, Iya shifted a bit uncomfortably and answered "I don't mind sparring with you but there is no need to risk hurting one another in a fight like that."

"I will not take no for an answer." the silver haired hanyou stubbornly declared. Pointing a clawed finger at his brother, he said "I want you to fight me seriously. Vow to me that you will do so."

"Inuyasha, I …"

"I have waited for a long time to ask for this fight. Please Iya, this is important to me. I want to measure the gap between the two of us."

The older hanyou saw the sheer look of someone bound and determined to get what he wanted in the features of his youngest brother. Something familiar caused a pang of remembrance to well up from when he would demand that his father or older brother fight him seriously.

"_Please, don't hold back! I want to fight you seriously._"

Feeling his own words were similar to that of what his brother had just spoken made him realize just how important the proposed fight meant. A soft sigh escaped his mouth as a small smile formed.

"I will fight you seriously but it will wait till tomorrow. When we fight, it will have to be out at my own personal training grounds to make sure no one is hurt. Is that acceptable?"

"Yes." Inuyasha answered soundly.

"Very well, meet me tomorrow at the front gate and we will go."

000

000

"I wonder what has got into him." Lilly commented.

The mates sat across from one another in their room at a low table that had tea sitting on it.

"He wants to measure the gap between us." Iya remarked as he ran a clawed hand through his now loose hair, free of its purple ribbon binding.

Remaining quiet for a few seconds, the neko hanyou at last said "Kagome never said a word about this to me. The two of us have been talking quite a bit but the subject has never come up."

Reaching out and taking up his tea and sipping it, the dog hanyou soon enough set it down. A small sigh escaped him as he replied "I told him we would go to my personal training grounds tomorrow. At worst, if he lets loose everything he has, we should be safe. I've already alerted Tsunade and May that alterations need to be made to the barriers."

"If Orihime wasn't so underfoot of Ichigo, she would probably …" Lilly began, only to be cut off by her mate.

"Ichigo would rather die than let Orihime do anything strenuous. She's lucky he lets her do anything at this point and time."

Giggling, the neko slyly replied "Someone else was almost the same way when I was pregnant."

Tapping her chin, she added "Then again, you weren't nearly as bad now that I think about it."

"You did dangerous things." Iya deadpanned back. "It's no wonder Ichigo has Orihime practically under house arrest after putting up with your antics during all three of your pregnancies."

Silence engulfed the pair momentarily before Lilly spoke up, saying "I think the pups should watch this fight."

"Huh?"

"Well, they've watched you and Ichigo before, so I think watching you and Inuyasha fight would be beneficial for them to watch and maybe pick up a few things." Lilly explained.

Cupping his chin for a moment, the dog hanyou at last nodded his head, saying "You're right. I'll send word to Inuyasha and Kagome to bring their pups too. It may give them ideas on where to take their own training."

A moment passed as the neko hanyou stared hard at her ceramic cup. Breaking her silence, she asked tentatively "Do you intend on fighting him at full strength?"

"I'll fight him hard but probably not at the level you're thinking. We never can be too careful, now can we?" the male hanyou asked with a wink.

Smiling warmly at her mate, the neko hanyou coolly replied "Of course not."

Rising up, he softly said "I think we should rest now. Tomorrow will be a long day."

000

000

"Are things ready yet?" Inuyasha impatiently asked. Not a hundred yards away, Iya stood patiently waiting with his arms crossed and eyes closed, as if reflecting on the things to come.

Rolling her eyes at her mate's inability to wait for what felt like the millionth time in her life, Kagome coolly called out "Just hold on Inuyasha. I'm sure Lilly, May, and Tsunade are working to get things prepared in a timely fashion."

"Just think on a strategy in the meantime, Oyaji!" Asami called out with a big goofy grin on her face.

Daiki chimed in, saying "And remember not to lose your temper!"

Grumbling under his breath over his kids attempt to console him, the silver haired hanyou suddenly picked up two new but familiar scents.

The two owners of the scents soon appeared as Ichigo appeared in a flash with an orange haired demoness hanging on his back. Sliding off his back, she stepped out and smiled and waved at the group for a moment. Her straight orange hair reached down to her mid-back in length and was pulled back into a ponytail held together by a white ribbon. Bangs framed her face but were restrained by a set of six pronged snowflake hair pins on each side. Gray eyes seemed filled to the brim with love and compassion. Her voluptuous body was starting to show early signs of her pregnancy but at the same time accented it ever so slightly. The clothing she had chosen for the day consisted of a pink outer layer with long flowing sleeves that reached just above the ground. Under the top, she had on a dark pink kimono with several flower designs stitched into it. It fit loosely around her giving her ample mobility and coverage. A light pink obi tied it shut with a large bow hidden by her outer layer tied on her backside. On her feet were a pair of zōri that clacked ever so lightly when she walked. Resting on her hip was a wakazashi sitting within a polished black lacquered sheath. The sword's hilt was braided in fine red cloth.

Smiling brightly at the group, she called out "Hey everyone!"

"Good to see you out and about, Orihime." Kagome replied warmly.

"I felt I needed some air and heard about what was going on, so I asked Ichigo to bring me out here." the bobcat demoness kindly remarked. Glancing out at the trio surrounding the training grounds at different points, she said "It looks like Lilly, May, and Tsunade are tweaking the barrier."

Nodding in reply, the female dog hanyou answered "Yes, they mentioned fixing it up to adjust to Inuyasha's aura."

"I wonder if they …" Orhime began but was promptly cut off.

"You don't need to overexert yourself, Orihime." Ichigo firmly stated.

Pouting, the demoness looked longingly towards her friends adjusting the barrier.

Sighing at his mate's behavior and feeling a slight pang of guilt, the quarter demon grudgingly said "Go ahead if you want, just don't overdo it."

Orihime immediately brightened and kissed Ichigo on the lips. Smiling happily, she waved at him and she rushed off towards the neko hanyou.

000

000

"Almost there." Lilly mumbled to no one in particular. She sat on her knees before a stone with glowing green hands. Her mind was fully focused on the task at hand in adjusting the barrier for the battle that was to soon commence.

"Hi Lilly!"

Concentration wavering a bit due to being disturbed and wanting to talk to her friend, the neko hanyou steeled herself and remained focused. In a distant tone, she said "I'm a touch busy, Orihime."

"I know." the bobcat mage replied sweetly. Holding her hands behind her back, she added "I just wanted to ask if you already did number seventy-seven to keep in contact with Tsunade and May to keep track of their progress."

Realization of the fact she had forgotten to do said Kidō, Lilly moodily remarked "I should have known I forgot something."

Smiling brightly at her friend, Orihime replied "Don't worry, I'll do it."

"Huh?" Lilly asked incredulously as her eyes snapped open. Realizing barrier she was adjusting would destabilize in the next few moments if she didn't act fast, she shut her eyes again and began returning all of her focus to her current task. Finding she was returning it to a stable point, she smoothly said "Not to sound ungrateful or anything, but Ichigo would rather break his sword into a million little pieces than let you do Kidō."

"He is a bit overprotective of me. Don't worry; I'll do it quickly before he realizes it."

"That's what worries me. He'll know something is up." the hanyou deadpanned.

Giggling at her friend, the bobcat demoness sat down onto her knees in front of the neko, being mindful not to get her kimono dirty. She proceeded to roll up her right sleeve to the point it was up to her shoulder and did not obstruct her any longer. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply and raised her right arm up a bit. Glowing a bit, her hand suddenly produced two white pentagon shaped pieces of metal that had wiggling black ink like tails.

Flicking them into the air, the two started floating somewhat before the mage thrust her right arm between the two, causing them to flip a few more times. They suddenly stopped as their tails became longer and more pronounced until they became pointed arrows. The two began etching a strange and intricate pattern of lines of ink on her skin that crisscrossed back and forth all the way down to her wrist where they stopped.

A large rectangular window with black outlining appeared in front of her palm with what looked like flowing ink leaking from it. It glowed slightly blue on a stripe like pattern on the edge of the window but was seemingly transparent.

In a calm tone, Orihime softly called out "Bakudō 77: **Tenteikūra****."**

**Immediately, Lilly felt the spell connect with her mentally, along with Tsunade and May.**

**"****It's ready, Lilly." the mage stated.**

**"****Thank you." Lilly softly replied. Feeling she was ready to speak, she said "Tsunade, May, I'm finishing up with my part. How is it going on your two's end?"**

**"****Nearly done here, Lilly-sama." May's voice confirmed.**

**A moment later, Tsunade said "I just finished my part."**

**"****As did I." the neko demoness chimed in.**

**"****Just a moment you two and I'll be done." Lilly replied.**

**Not even a few seconds passed before she stated "I'm done now. Let's begin raising it."**

**"****Hai!" the two other voices chimed in.**

**The rock she had been focusing on with her powers suddenly pulsed slightly. Another pulse resonated through the air before it shot a light blue energy beam up into the air and crossed over to the other side of the large training grounds where it connected to another rock. Both rocks shot beams out in a circular path that soon connected with one another. The energy beams that connected each rose from the ground and started slowly forming a dome of energy. After a few moments, the dome fully formed and connected perfectly together with the original line that crossed the field.**

**Not even a few seconds after the barrier had risen, another beam of purple energy rose and formed another barrier. Seconds later, a third rose up, this one a light green color. The three domes**** were fully formed within a minute and began melding into one another. All at once, the three were one and made a powerful make shift dome.**

**With little warning, the dome vanished, leaving nothing but clear skies above.**

**"****Good job you two. We're done for now." Lilly complimented.**

**"****Hai." the mother and daughter duo replied.**

**Releasing her spell, Orihime opened her eyes to smile Lilly. The neko hanyou returned the smile with one of her own before frowning.**

**"****Orihime, I thought I asked you not to overdo it?" Ichigo stated from behind his mate with a scary scowl on his face.**

**Slowly and dramatically turning around with sweat running down her face, the bobcat mage comically replied "I'm alright****?"**

**Lilly couldn't help but laugh at her friend's predicament, nor her response. The quarter demon only scowled at her before letting out a sigh.**

**"****Let's go watch this fight." he grumbled.**

000

000

"It's ready Iya!"

Opening his eyes upon hearing his mate's words, the elder dog hanyou unfolded his arms and turned towards his younger brother, who seemed anxious to begin.

"About time." Inuyasha grumbled. "What the hell is so special about what they were doing?"

"What they were doing was amending the barrier that surrounds us. It's made up of three layers, each special in their own way. The first layer is made from Kidō, the next Alkahestry, and the last is sorcery. Combined together, the three make a powerful barrier that isn't easily damaged nor needs much maintenance. They were amending it to accommodate for your own aura. Aside from that, it was also fixed so that you can enter the barrier at the designated spot from now on, along with leave at the same place too." Iya explained.

Brow furrowing, the younger hanyou asked "Why all that trouble?"

"Ichigo and I train here almost daily, so it is important that our battles are not disturbed, nor get out of hand and threaten to damage the surrounding area. My original training grounds were much closer to the Southern Keep at one time. However, due to an incident, we decided to move them out here to prevent such things from happening, plus took more precautions with the barrier."

"I guess it makes sense." the silver haired hanyou commented at last. "Seems like an awful lot of effort to me."

In a serious tone, the Southern Lord replied "We can never be too careful. As I said before, an incident in one of my training sessions with Ichigo made us decide to beef up precautions in case something like that ever happened again. So far it hasn't."

"But never mind that. Before we get down to business, I want to ask you something." the elder hanyou stated. Pointing a clawed finger at his brother, he said "You told me that you wanted to measure the difference in our powers. Why is that so important to you now?"

Iya waited on an answer for nearly a minute. A touch irked at his brother silence, he began to say something when the younger hanyou suddenly started speaking.

"Do you remember the last time we fought one another?" Inuyasha suddenly asked.

Crossing his arms back over his chest, the older hanyou took up a thoughtful pose. A few seconds later, he answered "It was at least twenty-one years ago, if not longer. I recall we had a match right before the Great War."

Chuckling, Inuyasha nodded his head, saying "Your memory is as sharp as ever. That's right; it was almost twenty-one years ago. Both Lilly and you had showed up at Edo after your mission to the Southern and Eastern Lands to parley with their lords. You had brought a prisoner with you that needed medical treatment from Kagome and Rin."

"While you hung around, waiting for her to recover, I convinced you into having a little sparring session with me. When we fought, it was obvious to me that you weren't trying very hard but I said nothing. We fought for a good hour before I at last collapsed from the fight. I had several minor wounds while you didn't so much as have a smudge on your clothes, let alone a scratch."

Sighing slightly but letting out a soft chuckle, he added "I felt that I at least knew the level at which you were at from that fight, but I was completely off the mark. That was made very clear to me almost four years later."

The facial expression of the silver haired hanyou became more serious as he said "I watched your match with Sesshomaru when he tested your skills to see if you would even stand a chance against the Southern Lord. Witnessing that match made it painfully obvious that I had fallen far behind the two of you. Hell, I realized I wasn't even close."

Silencing his brother before he could even defend himself, Inuyasha continued on in a firm tone, saying "Totosai tried to console me, telling me that my own skills were self-learned and that my own natural talent was enough to overcome the difference between us. However, I don't believe that. Sesshomaru and yourself both were taught under father's guidance and honed your skills by being pit against one another and father."

"I on the other hand had to learn on my own. No one ever taught me the basics of learning to handle a sword. All that I know is based on instinct and what I mimicked from watching others use one. That alone has managed to get me this far."

Clenching his fists slightly, the silver haired hanyou added "That day, I realized no matter how much I had wanted to believe I had held my own with Sesshomaru or yourself, I knew there was a gap between us. I silently vowed to myself to become stronger and overcome that gap somehow, no matter what it took. I never wanted either of you to feel you could not count on me when the time would come for me to be able to help out."

"I never felt you were inferior." Iya proclaimed in a slightly heated tone. "Not once did I think you were weak, nor did I ever think you couldn't handle yourself. I have always fully trusted that your abilities were enough to do whatever was asked of you."

Unmoved from his stance, Inuyasha replied "I know that. And because of that, I do forever feel indebted to your unwavering trust in me. But that doesn't change the fact that I knew that there was a large gap in power between us."

"In all honestly, I always looked to you as my inspiration to continue to get stronger. You understand the challenges of getting stronger due to our heritage. Hanyous are often looked down upon by demons because of our human blood. Even with having to deal with that, you never once backed down from a challenge and found ways to get stronger and to eventually become the Lord of the Southern Lands. That in and of itself gave me confidence that if you could become this strong, so could I."

Stopping for a moment and flexing his clawed hands before himself, the dog hanyou faintly smiled. "Once I returned home after the Great War, I set about training myself to become much, much stronger. For seventeen years, I have toiled greatly and pushed myself beyond my original limits in order to come before you once again and challenge you to another fight. My one burning desire was to have another match with you and prove not only to myself, but to you, that I can close that gap between us, that you can depend on me always. That is why this battle holds such importance to me."

Awestruck by his brother's words, Iya couldn't help contemplate them. "_… That is why this battle holds such importance to me._"

"_Inuyasha, your words prove to me just how important this is. In my eyes, you've never been weak. Not once have I ever thought so. For you to have come this far and to once more challenge me, that means you are prepared for whatever results may come of it._"

"Inuyasha," Iya began, "I will fight you. Come; show me what you have learned."

Smirking, the silver haired hanyou placed a clawed hand on the hilt of his sword. The black haired hanyou mirrored the movement.

Simultaneously, the two drew their swords from their sheaths. Each weapon's transformation was sparked upon being drawn. The two swords transformed themselves into massive halberds that took up the shape of a large fang. Both weapons had a ring of fur for the guard, with the difference being that the silver haired hanyou's guard was white while his brother's had a black fur ring guard.

"This should be good." Ichigo commented.

**Thanks everyone for reading the chapter. Now, if you could do me a kind favor and review to let me know what you think of the chapter, I'd appreciate it. Till next time!**


End file.
